Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-28
III do not think So" feid Melsnie, in a

metalne colored with annoyance, but
made no reply.
"He is wealthy, my girl, "5aid her uncle
IN more moderate tone.
| "But he is deemed an old bore, uncle !"
"a bore-with 100000 per aunum?
Ab-you consider That detrimental Ions
Gale more attractive, have no doubt?"
SAID he, with what he meant to be grim
contempt.
"Well, uncle" replied Melanie, little
| defantly, "between rich bores and pleas
ing 'detrimentsls,' poor girl, such as l.,
has hard game 10 play"
'Tnen play it well. He is match, Sir
Brisco -
"Vulgarly, catch, were nearer the
truth, uncle" interrupted Melanie, irri-
tated at the manner in which Lonsdale's
name was introduced.
"And this so-cslled engagement of
yours" began her uncle, with with
ering glance.
$50 called" interrupted Melsnie again
"Don't speak of it SO, uncle. will not
have it made public property. do not
want people interfering, advising and
meddling-'
"Or coDgratulsting you," said he with
bitter laugh. "Few people who know
to do that"
Uncle Glinshaw had not, even at first,
been disposed to do more than simply
tolerate the idea of Montague Lonsdale's
Intentions: but now the letter of Mrs
Chillington, telling him of Melsne's eds
graceful contumscy," and the necessity
of putting some pressure upon her in the
matter OF Sir Blisco Braybrooke, made
him almost savage.
"The attentions OF Sir Briscoare an
honor to our family" said he loftily.
"Then I wish he would turn them to
Aunt Chillington, and propose to her"
"Do not dale to irihe with me-" said
Mr.. Grimshaw, rasping up his side tufts
and polishing his bald head, as he walked
up and down the room. "This fancy of
yours for an all but penniless man must
be conquered"
at cannot be-" said Melenie, softly, IS
her eyes filed with tears.
"Why-why?"
at is part OF my existence"
"Stuf,"
Then after an angty pause he added,
"Well-if-through your contumacy,as
your Aunt Chillington very properly
terms it, we are to have this fellow,
Lonsdale, on the tapis, and the bsronet
hears of the matter, your chances will be
lost. In that event L Shall have nothing
more 20 say on the matter" he con-
tinued, in tone which implied he could
say great deal more if he chose. "You
are rash, foolish, headstrong, and utterly
selfsh.n
Melanie felt ell the humiliation of her
position, and sighed in silence.
b IND 20 7
said he, thinking that she was softening.
"Oh, yes, Uncle GrimshaW," replied
Melanie, with bitter smile, which he
was not slow to detect.
"Have treated you quite like a daugh-
ter, indeed; but this kind of thing can
not go on forever-can not 90 OF for
only OF "the handful" his sister orphans
were, and not of their trust-money,
which had slipped through his fingers in
Bnchin-lane.
Cold and selfish to the hearts core, he
felt no soft or real regard for sthe
beautiful girl cast by hard fate on his
hands; and as for her brothers, Dick was
ever worry, and the helpless "cripple"
a source of loathing rather than pity.
To refuse such an offer as thst OF Sir
Brisco, seemed, in his estimation, con-
duct without parallel in all the legends of
children, especially nephews end nieces,
who have been poor, undutiful and IN
grateful.
Love was very poor stuff indeed! II
never occurred to him that anything SO
intensely absurd, SO utterly secondary,
should come into competition with &C.,
600 q year!
"Beggsrs who owe their food and shell
ter to others should not be so difficult TO
plesse," said he, with intense bitterness
and concentrated fury, while his
pale grey eyes II grey they
were - glittered Ike icicles in
the lamplight; lend l shall lessen the
burden put upon me in one way he
added, with reference to the pressure to
be put upon Melanie "If, within given
| time, you do n0G marry Sir Brisco, and
thus take Of my hands your brother Re
glnald, he shall go straight from here to
the ward of a common hospital"
And with this singing threat, which
filed Ter sFectionate heart with new ter
Tor snd5 dismty, he quilted the room,
and fnciCusly banged the door behind
him.
CgAPTEI Wan UNEXPECTED MEETING
The strange snd bitter threat OF her
uncle snd guardian, for Mr. Grimsiaw
was both, concerning her brother Reggie,
made Melaine grave and unhappy. 1t
filled her with anxious thoughts. With
all his business training in Birchin- lane,
she kne W him to be s. curious mixture of
vanity, selfshness, and meanneSs, and
hoped the frst-named element might pre-
vail.
Would ne dare-would he be cruel
enough te put such threat in execution?
| Surely not!
Dick, observaut and wstchful, saw her
| pre- occupation, and mistaking the cause,
! said
"Tou must miss so much pleasure here
-sight-seeing, bslls, water aud dinner
psr,ies-firtations enid"
"These q e not in my way, Dick"
Not now, perhaps" said Dick, think
ing of Montague Lonsdale.
"Uncle GrimshaN has Just said some
thing very cruel to me-"
81 don't think it in his psture to say
much that is kind replied the boy;
"but | saw that be did look wicked
| jus. like alike trapped weasel" he
added, 8. s loss for smile.
| Over the latter, Montague had gained
en- advantage. He had openly and hon.
orably announced his engagement with
Melanie, while the baronet had made no
movement as yet to ingrstiate himslf in
his favor, and had contented himself by
reporting his want of success to Mrs.
Chillingtou-which somewhat piqued
| Uncle GrImshaw's vanity.